Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Scott Turner said on Feb. 27 that he would work to reduce regulatory burdens to ease America’s housing affordability crisis and help builders to construct more attainable, affordable housing the nation sorely needs.
In one of his first official speaking engagements after being sworn in as HUD secretary earlier this month, Turner addressed the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Leadership Council, which met in Las Vegas in conjunction with the 2025 International Builders’ Show (IBS).
“A home is more than four walls. It’s the foundation of a thriving community,” said Turner. “To decrease the cost and increase the supply of affordable housing, we will terminate these unnecessary, ineffective and costly regulations.”
A former professional athlete who worked in the first Trump administration, Turner faces many challenges in the early days of his tenure, from a stagnant housing market to major cuts aimed at his agency. During his confirmation hearing, Turner emphasized HUD’s role in facilitating the creation of more housing, saying that HUD is ”failing” at that “most basic mission.”
Trump and billionaire “special government employee” Elon Musk have pushed for cuts at the agency, targeting a reduction of half the employees at HUD
Turner pledged to work with home builders and all interested stakeholders to find long-term solutions that make homes more affordable, spur business creation and create economic opportunity for all Americans.
“It’s time we unleash the power of the private sector and the free market to build our way out of the housing affordability crisis,” said Turner. “We are going back to the drawing board to restore efficiency at HUD.”
The HUD secretary further emphasized that as part of this process, “the foundation of a stable fiscal house is regulatory reform. At HUD, we are taking inventory and terminating all cumbersome regulations that make it harder for individuals and families to realize the American Dream of homeownership.”
After addressing the NAHB Leadership Council, Turner participated in the IBS by touring the latest building products and innovations on the exhibit floor.
